A new school year has unfolded and with that being said, there’s a bounty of opportunities that you should be taking advantage of. Whether you’re an eager freshman, exhausted senior or anything in between, now is the time to be challenging yourself in ways that only your college years can.
It’s easy to fall into a comfortable routine in which you feel safe and secure, especially if you’re more timid like myself. But college is nothing like high school. Everyone says that this is one of the most memorable times of your life, where you’ll meet your best friends and have the most fun without having the full responsibility of adulthood. All of those statements are true – if you’re willing to step outside of familiarity and enter an environment you’re unaccustomed to.
The best things happen when you challenge yourself in that way, even if it scares you. If you constantly find yourself on the outside looking in, wishing you could do a certain thing or be a certain thing – go for it. Now is the time to put yourself first and try something new that could potentially open doors for your personal development.
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I’ve never been the kind of person who could walk into a room and immediately capture everyone’s attention. I was comfortable with laying low, but it felt like no matter where I was, there would always be a distance between me and the people around me, especially in big groups of people – it just wasn’t my scene. When college started, I chose to try something new every day that scared me, even if it was just something small. For example, when I was meeting someone new, instead of keeping to myself about a thought I had, I’d verbalize it. That led to conversations that engaged the other person. Little instances like that helped me realize that things are blown up to seem way scarier in our minds than they are in actuality.
I remember sitting at freshman orientation, listening to some of the seniors talk about the international programs at FSU while they were trying to make the idea of studying abroad sound appealing. I vividly remember thinking, “How in the world could people just pick up their things and move to a new country for MONTHS?” Even though I love traveling, I still thought the idea was insane and that I was too much of a homebody for that. I say this as I currently write to you from Florence, Italy in my sophomore year at Florida State University.
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It’s important to recognize what you want and take steps towards achieving it, even if it appears frightening at first. Make the most of what you have in front of you. Try a new hobby you’ve always wanted to delve into or go on that adventure you’ve been putting off. Just put aside any doubts, figure out what you want and go confidently in that direction.